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OOORD  BROS.  Inc. 


ham  s  Spectacles 


ISAM'S 

SPECTACLES 
* 

HARRY  STILLWELL  EDWARDS 

AUTHOR  OF 

"TWO   RUNAWAYS."   "HIS  DEFENSE" 
"ENEAS  AFR1CANUS."  ETC. 

: 


PUBLISHED    BY 

THEJ.  W.  BURKE  COMPANY 
MACON,  GEORGIA 


COPYRIGHT.  192U 
BY  THE  J.  W.  BURKE  COMPANY 


£455 


ham's  Spectacles 

ISAM  sat  on  the  back  steps  at  Woodhaven, 
the  yard  full  of  the  cool,  deep  shadows  of 
twilight,  Helen's  little  boy  by  his  side,  and 
Major  Worthington,  as  usual,  smoking  in  his 
great  arm-chair,  with  one  of  his  stout  legs 
peacefully  reposing  on  the  balustrade  of  the 
veranda.  Not  far  away,  in  the  deep  shadow, 
was  Helen,  dreaming,  with  hands  clasped  be 
hind  her  shapely  head. 

The  little  boy  was  impatiently  shaking  the 
old  negro's  arm  and  pleading: 

"Please,  Unc'  Isam!  please!  You've  been 
promising  for  a  week  to  tell  me  how  you  saved 
your  life  with  a  pair  of  spectacles." 

"Was  hit  er  true  story,  honey?"  Isam 
scratched  his  chin  reflectively,  and  the  major 
chuckled. 

[5] 


373 


1H     ISAM'S  SPECTACLES     $ 

"Yes;  a  true  story.  Of  course  it  was  true 
if  it  happened  to  you,  wasn't  it,  Unc'  Isam?" 

"To  be  sho,  to  be  sho."  The  old  man  ap 
peared  to  be  studying  over  some  half-forgot 
ten  incident.  He  began  slowly  and  cautiously  : 
"I  disremember  now  perzactly  'bout  de  spec- 
tides.  I  disremember  'bout  de  specticles.  An' 
I  done  save  mer  life  so  many  times — you  don't 
mean  when  de  bees  an'  de  goat  tackled  me,  an' 
driv  Marse  Craffud  unner  de  kitchin,  does 
yer?" 

"Oh,  no,  no,  no  !   That  wasn't  the  time." 

"Den  dere  was  de  special  'casion,"  said 
Isam,  dreamily,  "when  I  fought  de  whole 
Yankee  yarmy  out  up  yonner  'bout  Chicken- 
mauger,  an'  save  mer  life,  'long  wid  er  whole 
waggin-train  an'  er  lot  er  niggers  ter  boot." 

"Oh,   no,   Unc'   Isam;  you   know   what   I 


mean." 


"An'  time  when  I  save  mer  life  wid  er 
watch,  while  Marse  Craffud  was  prac'sin'  wid 
a  pistul  on  Marse  Rem  Billin's — " 

[6] 


$     ISAM'S  SPECTACLES     0? 

"No,  no;  not  that.  Don't  you  know  you 
went  to  town  with  Uncle  Crawford,  and  they 
took  you  to  some  place  where  all  the  doctors 
stay?" 

"Oom-hoo!  Oom-hoo  !  Now  I  sorter  'gin 
ter  ketch  what  you  been  drivin'  at.  Ef  you'd 
des  said  docters  de  fus  time,  an'  not  kep'  on 
beatin'  'bout  de  bushes  so  long — what  ails  yer, 
chile,  anyhow?"  he  asked  with  a  show  of  in 
dignation.  "Whar  yer  git  dat  roun'erbout  way 
of  not  comin'  straight  out  an'  sayin'  wha'  's  on 
yo'  min'?  You  don't  git  hit  f'om  me,  'cause  I 
ain't  er  man  to  was'e  words;  an'  you  don't  git 
hit  f'om  Miss  Helen,  'cause  when  she  got  any 
thing  ter  say,  hit  comes  straight  out.  Hit's 
'Isam,  I  want  you  to  hitch  up  er  horse,'  or 
'Isam,  fetch  er  pail  er  water,'  or,  'Isam,  have 
'em  serve  supper';  an'  so  on.  Marse  Craffud 
conies  to  de  p'int  in  er  lope  :  'Isam,  —  yo' — '  ' 

"Isam,  don't  use  such  language  in  the  pres 
ence  of  my  child!"  Helen's  voice  floated  out 
reproachfully  from  the  shadow. 


$?     ISAM'S  SPECTACLES     <$$ 

"Dere,  now!  What  I  tell  yer,  honey?  Ain't 
no  roun'erbout  an'  com-up-behin'-yer  in  dat. 
She  know  des  what  ter  say,  an' — " 

The  little  boy  shook  the  old  man  with  both 
hands. 

"Oh,  Unc'  Isam,  you  know  what  I  want. 
Go  on,  please — p-1-e-a-s-e  !" 

"Lemme  steddy  erwhile ;  lemme  steddy.  I 
disremember  perzactly  whar  de  specticles 
come  in.  Savin'  mer  life  was  er  special  fac'. 
Why  n't  yer  ask  me  'bout  dis  hyah  story  'long 
time  ergo?  Big  fac's  is  all  right;  dey  hangs 
in  de  min'  of  man  like  cockle-burs  in  es 
breetches  leg,  an'  he  cyan't  loose  'em.  He 
sorter  feels  'em  er-techin'  somewhar  all  time ; 
but  dese  hyah  miser'ble  little  trashy  fac's 
cyan't  be  'pended  on  no  time.  Now,  in  gen'l, 
specticles  is  mos'ly  er  little  fac' ;  you  can  lay 
down  specticles  an'  tek  up  specticles,  an'  hit 
don't  count  fer  nothin'  on  yer  min'.  Hit's  like 
er  ole  'oman  fannin'  herse'f  ter  sleep  in  er 

[8] 


$?     ISAM'S  SPECTACLES     $* 

cheer,  an'  gittin'  her  nap  out  'thout  breakin' 
her  lick." 

"You  reached  out  and  took  them  off  the 
table — don't  you  remember?" 

"Seems  ter  me  like  I  do  sorter  ketch  er  little 
shimmer  of  hit.  I  reached  out,  tuk  'em  f'om 
de  table,  an'  den  what?  I'm  er-stumblin' 
ergin." 

"You  reached  out  and  took  them  off  the 
table,  and  put  them  on,  and  sat  up  in  bed — 
don't  you  remember?" 

Isam  looked  at  his  questioner  with  wide- 
open  eyes. 

"Sholy.  I  sholy  does.  Hit  all  comes  back 
ter  me  des  like  hit  was  yestiddy.  But,  honey, 
ef  yer  know  all  'bout  dis  'spe'iunce  of  mine, 
what  yer  keep  on  pesterin'  me  'bout  hit  fer? 
It  ain't  ev'y  man  c'n  tell  de  same  story  des 
erlike  more  'an  oncest.  Ef  I  done  gi'  yer  dis 
story  oncest,  an'  I  tell  yer  de  same  story  wid 
er  special  diff'unce  in  de  tex',  yer  goin'  ter  rack 
roun'  dis  hyah  plantation  lettin'  on  erbout  hit 

[9] 


ISAM'S  SPECTACLES 


to  Hannah  an'  Silvy  an'  'Mandy  an'  er  whole 
passel  er  tattlin'  niggers,  an'  git  me  drapt  f  om 
de  church  fer  de  ninth  time.  Lemme  keep  in 
de  norrer  paf,  chile;  don't  crowd  me,  don't 
crowd  me." 

"You  haven't  told  me  anything  but  that," 
said  the  little  boy,  earnestly.  "You  just  told 
me  your  spectacles  were  once  lying  on  a  little 
table,  and  you  reached  out  and  took  them,  and 
sat  up  in  bed,  and  put  them  on,  and  saved  your 
life.  You  promised  me  if  I  would  get  you  a 
plug  of  tobacco  out  of  Uncle  Crawford's 
closet — " 

"An'  I'm  er-goin'  ter  tell  yer  'bout  hit 
right  now,"  said  Isam,  raising  his  voice  and 
straightening  up.  "You  got  too  much  sense 
fer  any  chile  livin',  an'  dere  ain't  no  way  to 
head  yer  off,  once  yer  git  started.  Whar  yer 
want  me  to  pick  up  de  story?" 

The  major  and  Helen  were  silently  laugh 
ing.  The  little  boy  dropped  down  happily  be- 

[10] 


4?     ISAM'S  SPECTACLES     if 

side  the  old  negro's  side,  and  rested  one  arm 
on  his  knee. 

uTell  me  all  about  it — every  bit." 
"All  is  er  heap,  honey,  specially  when  hit 
comes  ter  er  story  what's  true.  Dere  ain't  no 
tellin'  whar  any  story  what's  true  gits  hits  fus 
start.  Dis  hyah  story  er  mine  heads  erway 
back  yonner'fo'  you  was  born,  an'  I  ain't  sayin' 
perzactly  how  much  more.  Hit  heads  'long 
erbout  muscadine-time  somewhar  an'  hit  come 
of  me  gittin'  er  muscadine-seed  hitched  in  mer 
vermafooge  pendullum."  There  was  a  sudden 
explosion  where  the  major  sat,  and  fire  flew 
from  his  pipe.  Isam  looked  toward  him 
silently  a  few  moments,  one  eyebrow  twitch 
ing  silently.  "I  never  tole  dis  story  but  twicest 
befo',"  he  said,  "an'  Marse  Craffud  blowed 
all  de  fire  outer  his  pipe  at  de  same  place,  bofe 
times." 

"But,  Unc'  Isam,  what  did  you  say  it  was 
that  the  muscadine-seed  got  into?" 


ISAM'S  SPECTACLES 


The  old  man  took  the  little  boy's  hand  sol 
emnly  and  pressed  it  against  his  heart. 

"Wha's  dat  rookus  goin'  on  inside  dere? 
Tech  me,  tech  me!  Don't  be  erfeared  ter 
tech  me." 

"That's  your  heart  beating." 

"Oom-hoo!  des  so.  An'  dat's  what  move 
all  de  inside  works  uv  er  man,  too.  Hit's  de 
clock;  an'  when  hit  gits  outer  gear,  hit's  good 
bye,  Isam !  Go  upstairs,  honey,  'fo'  yer  go  ter 
bed,  an'  look  thoo  de  little  roun'  glass  in 
de  wais'  of  de  big  clock  in  de  hall,  an'  yer  goin' 
ter  see  somep'n'  waggin'  ercross  f'om  one  side 
to  de  yuther,  an'  tickin'  erway  ter  beat  de 
ban'—" 

"Oh,  I've  seen  that  many  a  time.  That's 
the  pendulum." 

"Dis  boy  is  sho  got  sense,"  said  Isam, 
slowly.  "Ain't  nothin'  goin'  on  'bout  de  place 
he  don't  know.  Oom-hoo !  honey,  dat's  de 
pendullum;  an'  dere's  somep'n'  inside  ev'y 
man  dey  calls  er  pendullum,  too — er  verma- 

[12] 


ISAM'S  SPECTACLES 


fooge  pendullum ;  an'  when  hit  quits  er-work- 
in',  dat  man  on  de  outside  knocks  off  erlong 
'bout  de  same  time.  Ef  you  don't  b'lieve  hit, 
you  ax  anybody  ef  dey  ever  hyah  tell  of  er 
tickin'  inside  er  dead  man,  or  seen  er  man  up 
an'  goin'  erbout  when  de  inside  tickin'  done 
quit."  This  statement  was  being  gravely  pon 
dered  by  the  little  boy  when  the  old  man  con 
tinued:  "De  muscadine-seed  lodge  in  de  pen 
dullum,  an'  de  fus  news  I  got,  de  mis'ry  ketch 
me  unner  the  bottom  rib  on  mer  right  side ;  an' 
hit  stuck  dere,  comin'  an'  er-goin'  mo'  er  less 
ye'r  in  an'  ye'r  out,  tell  I  'mos'  fergit  how  ter 
walk  on  mer  heels.  Many  an'  many  er  time  I 
couldn't  more'n  git  up  f'om  mer  cheer,  much 
less  git  er  bucket  er  water  f'om  de  well.  An' 
when  hit  come  ter  hoein'  in  de  gyarden,  de 
mis'ry  was  des  scand'lous.  Marse  Craffud  is 
er-laughin'  up  yonner,  honey,  ergin,  but  I'm 
er-talkin'  fac's  ter  yer  des  de  same.  Hit  was 
des  natchully  too  scand'lous  ter  git  erlong  wid. 
An'  den  come  erlong  Docter  Bailey,  one  day, 

[13] 


$>g     ISAM'S  SPECTACLES     $ 

an'  tuk  er  look  at  me,  an'  press  es  finger  hyah 
an'  plump  me  dere;  an'  bimeby  he  pass  his 
'pinion  dat  I'd  done  got  er  seed  in  mer  verma- 
fooge  pendullum.  Hit  sholy  scyared  me  f'om 
de  start,  'cause  Docter  Bailey  is  somebody 
what  knows  de  name  of  ev'ything  on  de  inside 
of  er  man,  an'  can  cut  er  man's  leg  off  wid  es 
eyes  shet  an'  never  tek  his  seegyar  outer  es 
mouf.  He  knows  all  de  titlements  of  what 
'flicts  er  nigger,  an'  tell  him  whar  he  aches  'fo' 
he  done  settle  on  de  spot  esse'f ;  an'  des  whar 
ter  drop  er  little  ile,  an'  when  ter  brace  up 
ev'ything  wid  er  dram.  An'  when  Docter 
Bailey  let  on  'bout  dat  muscadine-seed,  an'  I 
knowed  I'd  been  er-swallerin'  'em  forty  ye'rs 
ruther  'n  hunt  roun'  in  mer  mouf  fer  'em,  I 
'mos'  drapt  down  in  mer  tracks,  I  was  so 
pluralized  wid  de  shock.  De  mis'ry  got  worser 
an'  worser  f'om  dat  day  on;  an'  den  dey  up 
an'  say  ef  dey  don't  tek  me  inter  town  an'  have 
de  seed  distracted  f'om  whar  hit  done  been 
lodge,  I  was  sholy  er  gone  nigger.  Honey,  hit 


ISAM'S  SPECTACLES 


tuk  me  nigh  on  ter  fo'  weeks  ter  mek  up  mer 
min',  an'  de  mis'ry  helpin'  all  night.  Look  like 
I  would  n'  more'n  shet  mer  eyes  'fo'  I'd  hyah 
dat  pendullum  knock  off,  an'  I'd  jump  fer 
fresh  air  at  de  winder  an'  set  ev'ything  inside 
er  me  rackin'  erlong  like  er  scyared  rabbit. 
An'  in  de  daylight  I  got  ter  goin'  in  yonner  an' 
wastin'  mer  time  front  er  de  big  clock,  an' 
wishin'  hit  was  ole  Isam  gittin'  erlong  so 
steady,  tick-noc,  tick-noc  —  so  steady,  an'  hit 
forty  ye'rs  ole  when  Marse  Craffud  was  a 
baby! 

"Well,  I  drag  erlong  tell  one  dey  Marse 
Craffud  he  git  mad  an'  mek  'em  hitch  up  de 
blacks;  an'  he  got  me  inside  de  coach  wid  him, 
an'  gi'  de  word  fer  town.  Bless  Gord!  'fo'  I 
had  mer  min'  made  up,  I  was  yonner  in  de 
horsepk'l,  ondressed,  layin'  up  in  bed.  Dey 
ain'  been  er  man  moved  so  fas'  sence  er  chair't 
snatch  up  ole  man  'Lijah.  An'  dar  I  lay,  full 
er  'spicion  by  day  an'  wrastlin'  wid  de  night- 
mar'  by  night.  But  folks  was  sho  good  ter  me, 

[15] 


ISAM'S  SPECTACLES 


honey;  dey  sho  was.  Dey  say  I  warn't  goin' 
ter  be  teched  fer  fo'  days,  leastwise  not  tell 
dey  done  got  me  sorter  'conditioned'  up  to  de 
right  pitch ;  but,  oom-m-m !  de  stuff  dey  gim 
me  ter  swaller!"  Isam  made  a  grimace  that 
started  the  little  boy  laughing.  "Look  ter  me 
like  de  pu'  smell  of  hit  was  ernough  ter  stop 
any  town  clock  in  de  worl'.  An'  Miss  Helen 
she  come  an'  fetched  er  whole  raft  er  pictur' 
papers  an'  mer  ole  specticles;  an'  dere  I  lay 
an'  steddy  'bout  de  doin's  in  de  worl'  outside 
— de  young  'omen  in  dey  short  dresses  an'  de 
men  in  dey  woolens  goin'  in  er-swimmin'  ter- 
gyether,  an'  proud  o'  hit ;  an'  er  ship  erfire ;  an' 
er  whole  passel  er  sojers  runnin'  er  man  up  er 
hill  what  done  stole  dey  flag,  I  reck'n;  an'er 
railroad  injine  fallin'  off  er  trestl'.  But,  chile, 
I  never  seed  er  pictur'  of  anybody  in  sech 
trouble  as  I  was  er-havin'  over  des  one  musca 
dine-seed.  Dere  was  er  man  'long  erbout  de 
back  of  de  paper  what  seem  like  he  was  er- 
sufferin'  mightily,  f'om  de  'spression  of  his 


f*     ISAM'S  SPECTACLES     H? 

face ;  an'  ernuther  man  right  erlong  side  o'  'im 
fat  an'  sassy  an'  er-laughin'  fit  ter  kill  esse'f. 
I  spelled  out  dat  hit  was  de  same  man  'befo'  ' 
an'  de  same  man  'after,'  an'  I  say  ter  merself, 
'I  don't  wonder  at  'im,  ef  hit  means  er  musca 
dine-seed.'  Hit  didn't  help  me  much,  'cause  I 
couldn't  tell  which  pictur.'  was  took  las'.  I  laid 
out  ter  ask  Miss  Helen;  but  when  she  come, 
she  come  er-cryin',  an'  drapt  down  dere  by  me 
on  'er  knees  an'  'gin  ter  pray.  Honey,  I  been 
scyared  er  heap  er  times  in  mer  life,  but  when 
yo'  mar  drapt  down  dere  an'  ask  de  good 
Lord  ter  be  wid  me  in  mer  'fliction,  an',  case 
hit  was  his  will  dat  I  shouldn't  be  spa'd,  ter 
lead  me  thoo  de  valley  an'  de  shadder,  well, 
hit  tuk  her  an'  er  nigger  'oman  an'  two  young 
docters  ter  hoi'  me  in  dat  bed !  Dey  never  did 
hoi'  me  tell  somebody  jabbed  me  in  de  hip  wid 
er  hipperderme  contraption — " 

"What  was  it  they  jabbed  you  with,  Unc' 
Isam?"  asked  the  little  boy,  eagerly. 

"Oh,   I  don't  know,   chile;  hit  was  some 

[17] 


ISAM'S  SPECTACLES 


sorter  little  tin  squirt-gun  wid  er  p'int  like  er 
hornet's  tail."  Isam  rubbed  his  leg  gently  and 
sighed.  "When  I  woke  up  dey  say  I  done  been 
'sleep;  an'  I  hyah  Docter  Bailey  say  hit's  bes' 
ter  break  de  news  ter  me.  I  gyethered  that  I 
was  er  mighty  sick  man — er  mighty  sick  man  ! 
Ev'ybody  was  stirrin'  roun'  on  dey  tiptoe,  an' 
de  air  was  natchully  heavy  wid  trouble.  Doc 
ter  Bailey  pass  out  an'  lef  me  er-steddyin',  an' 
'bout  dat  time  I  seed  de  young  docters  busy 
in  de  nex'  room,  movin'  things  hyah  an'  er- 
movin'  things  yonner — spreadin'  er  cloth, 
clinkin'  dishes,  an'  washin'  dey  han's  in  er 
chiny  bowl.  So  much  doin'  erbout  sot  me  ter 
steddyin'  mo'  an'  mo',  an'  tekin'  mo'  intrust. 
I  ketch  de  eye  of  de  nigger  'oman  when  she 
pass  de  do',  an'  she  come  close  to  de  bed. 
'Chile,'  I  says,  des  so,  'you  is  'bout  de  likeliest 
gal  I  seen  sence  freedom.  Is  yo'  sweet  name 
Heartstrings?' 

"  'No,'  she  answered  me  back;  'mer  name 
is  des  Lucy  Ann.' 

[18] 


$?     ISAM'S  SPECTACLES     $ 

"  'Oom-hoo!'  says  I,  'hit's  er  name  'mos' 
as  putty  as  de  gal  what  er-wearin'  hit.  Lucy 
Ann,  is  de  white  gemmen  in  de  nex'  room 
gittin'  mer  dinner  ready?  Seems  like  I  hyah 
de  clink  o'  dishes,  an'  ef  mer  eyes  don't  fool 
me,  Docter  Muckhat'n  had  er  cyarvin'-knife 
in  es  han'  des  now.  I  sholy  would  want  some 
dinner,  fer  dey's  been  er-feedin'  me  on  prom- 
isses  to'  times  er  day  fer  fo'  days,  an'  I'm 
natchully  hongry.  Gord  knows  I  done  swal- 
lered  ernough  "condition"  powders  ter  eat  er 
sawmill  steer.' 

"Well,  wid  dat  she  look  at  me  sorter  cu'ious 
like  outer  de  lef  corner  of  'er  eye. 

"'Dinner?' says  she.   'Dinner?' 

"  'Oom-hoo!'  says  I,  'ain't  yer  never  hyah 
tell  of  er  man  eatin'  dinner?' 

"She  look  at  me  like  I  done  gone  'stracted. 

"  'Why,  man,'  she  says,  des  so,  'dey  is  git- 
tin'  ready  in  dere  ter  perform  on  er  sick  man.' 
'  'Lucy  Ann,'  says  I,  atter  waitin'  fer  mer 

[19] 


ISAM'S  SPECTACLES 


pendullum  ter  start  ter  tickin'  ergin,  'is  dere 
anybody  sick  in  dis  hyah  house  ?' 

"'Yes,'  says  she;  'ain't  you  sick,  Unc' 
Isam?' 

'  'Ain't  nobody  sick  hyah  but  me?'  says  I. 

"  'Nobody  but  you,'  she  answer  back,  an' 
out  she  went. 

"Den  I  'lowed  ef  dere  warn't  nobody  sick 
dere  but  me,  dat  all  de  gittin'  ready  in  de  nex' 
room  was  fer  me.  I  sot  up  sudden  in  de  bed, 
an'  reach  fer  mer  specticles,  an'  clapped  'em 
on,  bein'  nigh-sighted.  'Bout  dat  time  de 
youngest  docter  open  er  box  an'  start  ter  layin' 
out  saws  an'  long,  cu'ious  knives  an'  wrenches 
wid  twisted  handles;  an'  Docter  Muckhat'n 
scratch  er  match  on  his  right  leg  ter  light  er 
paper  chee-root,  an'  I  hyah  'im  say,  'Dere 
ain't  much  chance  fer  de  ole  nigger,  but  we'll 
cut  'im  open  an'  see  what  ails  'im.'  Well, 
honey,  I  knowed  den  dat  warn't  no  place  fer 
me.  I  let  mer  foot  to  de  flo';  ses  I,  leg  save 
de  body;  I  slip  'cross  de  room,  an'  stuck  mer 

[20] 


$?     ISAM'S  SPECTACLES     $ 

foot  in  mer  breetches ;  I  gyethered  mer  shoes 
in  mer  lef  han',  an'  drapt  outer  de  nighes' 
winder  like  er  wet  towel.  I  hit  de  groun', 
er  runnin',  an'  tek  de  main  road  outer  town, 
an'  I  cross  de  fiel's  like  er  man's  tracks.  It 
come  ter  my  min',  when  I  hit  de  valley  whar 
de  log  cross  de  crik,  'bout  how  yo'  ma  done 
pray  fer  somebody  ter  lead  me  thoo  de  shad- 
der,  an'  I  quicken  mer  lick  when  I  look  back 
an'  see  de  sun  drap  behin'  er  cloud,  an'  er 
shadder  comin'  erlong  on  my  trail.  I  was 
sholy  movin' !  I  done  lead  dat  shadder 
plumb  home  in  er  seven-mile  race.  I  did  n' 
know  I  was  done  hyah  tell  I  hit  head  fo'mos' 
'g'inst  de  back  do',  an'  shuk  ev'y  winder-pane 
in  de  house.  Dat's  what  mek  me  say  as  how 
de  specticles  save  mer  life." 

"But,  Unc'  Isam,"  said  the  little  boy,  when 
he  had  ceased  to  laugh,  "what  became  of  the 
muscadine-seed?" 

"De  muscadine-seed?  Well,  honey,  when 
I  hit  dat  back  do'  head  fo'mos'  I  reck'n  I  des 

[21] 


%     ISAM'S  SPECTACLES     $ 

natchully  swallered  hit  furder.  Yo'  uncle  kin 
laugh,  an'  yo'  ma  kin  laugh,  but  I  know  what 
I'm  er-talkin'  erbout.  I  ain't  never  been  so  shuk 
up  in  all  my  horned  days  as  I  was  when  I  look 
thoo  dese  specticles  for  dinner,  an'  seed 
dem  perform'm'  instermunts  on  dat  table — 
'cept  when  I  hit  de  back  do'  of  dis  house.  Des 
one  little  ole  pa'r  of  specticles,"  continued 
Isam,  taking  off  his  glasses  tenderly — "des 
one  little  ole  pa'r  specticles!  An'  ter  think 
how  many  times  I  done  sot  on  'em,  an'  drapt 
'em,  an'  lef  'em  erroun'  for  er  aggervatin' 
boy  to  projec'  wid!  Hit  fa'rly  meks  me  col' 
f 'om  head  ter  foot !  When  er  man  cyan't  look 
thoo  er  do'  wid  es  necked  eye  an'  know  de 
diff'unce  'twixt  perform'm'  instermunts  an'  er 
lay-out  fer  dinner,  hit's  time  ter  tie  es  spec 
ticles  on  ter  'im.  Chile,  ef  ever  yer  see  dese 
hyah  specticles  o'  mine  layin'  erroun'  loose 
anywhar,  call  me — call  me  !" 

That  night,    when   Isam   was   closing   the 

[22] 


ISAMS  SPECTACLES 


house,  he  found  the  little  boy  in  his  night 
gown,  intently  studying  the  pendulum  through 
the  round  glass  in  the  "waist"  of  the  great  hall 
clock. 


*Books  by  zjtfr.  Edwards 

"Two  Runaways"  and  other  stories $1.75 

"His  Defense"  and  other  stories 1.75 

"The  Marbeau  Cousins,"  12  mo.  cloth 1.50 

"Eneas  Africanus,"  new  edition,  paper .50 

"Eneas  Africanus,"  new  edition,  board .75 

"Eneas  Africanus,"  new  edition  illustrated 1.00 

"Eneas  Africanus,"  Flexible  Ooze  Leather 2.00 

"Just  Sweethearts,"  paper  bound .50 

"Just  Sweethearts,"  Christmas  bound 1.00 

"Just  Sweethearts,"  Ooze  Calf 2.00 

"How  Sal  Came  Through" .50 

"Brother  Sims's  Mistake" .50 

"Isam's   Spectacles" .50 

"The  Adventures  of  a  Parrot" .50 

"Shadow" — A  Christmas  Story .50 

"The  Vulture  and  His  Shadow" .50 

The  demand  for  "Eneas"  and  other  books  of  Mr. 
Edwards  is  so  great  that  we  believe  his  friends  will 
appreciate  our  bringing  out  these  additional  gems  of 
the  Old  South,  the  old-time  negro  and  his  old-time 
"white  folks." 

All  of  these  will  not  be  ready  at  the  same  time,  but 
orders  will  be  filled  as  rapidly  as  the  books  are  off  the 
press,  and  we  will  appreciate  advance  orders. 

Postpaid  to  any  address 
THE  J.  W.  BURKE  COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 

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